Blacksmithing Is Child’s Play for a Dark Mage - Chapter 96

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 96
Tay suddenly laughed, remembering the past.
There had been a time when he’d purchased that grotesque staff made from a tree that held corpses for two Goldmanta Gold Coins, and had even lamented that the price was steep.
Yet now he strode into the continent’s finest Magic Tool emporium and went shopping with impressive generosity—life truly was full of surprises.
“I’m looking for Black Mage equipment. Staff, circlet, ring, and bracelet. Highest grade. I need two complete sets.”
The shop clerk’s eyes widened at Tay’s request.
Customers seeking a full set of Black Mage gear, let alone two sets of the highest grade, were far from common.
Yet the clerk soon recovered his professional composure and began retrieving sinister-looking items one by one from the deepest reaches of the display cases.
At last, the equipment laid before Tay and Rant was as follows:
First, Tay’s staff.
Wail of the Departed
Grade: Magical
A staff of blackwood crafted from soil taken from an ancient battlefield where thousands were buried alive. It greatly amplifies the potency of necromancy-class magic, and during casting, the faint wails of the departed seep forth.
The very name promised wailing. Carrying it meant those sorrowful cries would flow endlessly like background music wherever one went. True to its nature as exclusive Black Mage equipment, it certainly had its concept down to perfection.
And the circlet, ring, and bracelet were as follows:
Circlet of the Silent One
Grade: Rare
A headband of dark silver that dramatically raises resistance to mental erosion and heightens concentration when channeling mana.
Ring of Gluttony
Grade: Magical
A cursed ring filled with ravenous hunger that absorbs a portion of each death the wearer causes, restoring the caster’s dark mana.
Bracelet of Skeletal Grip
Grade: Rare
When worn on the wrist, an invisible skeletal hand aids the flow of mana, shortening the cooldown period of spells.
Each piece boasted a sinister history, yet every one was a first-rate item with performance to match.
When he surveyed them with his Appraisal of Madness, he found not a single flaw—they were all genuine articles.
Tay procured an identical set for Rant as well.
He couldn’t bear to see his disciple and strategist carrying inferior equipment.
Investing in your subordinate’s gear was, after all, investing in your own combat strength.
“Master! At last I shall have a luxury staff befitting me!”
Dialogue, perched on his shoulder, squeaked with delight.
Since the creature mimicked Tay’s spells with perfect accuracy whenever Tay cast, acquiring a superior staff meant its own firepower would increase proportionally.
“…The staff is mine to wield. Not yours.”
“My word! What Master holds is as good as what I hold, so really we’re both using it! Ahahaha!”
Faced with Dialogue’s remarkable mental gymnastics, Tay could only sigh. That mouth had a talent for twisting any conclusion toward the cheerful outcome.
Ath, watching from the shadows, regarded the commotion with cold indifference.
“…That mouth remains as loud as ever, Contractor.”
“Leave it be. Even if it’s noisy, it works twice as hard.”
The transaction required an astronomical sum in gold coins, yet Tay didn’t raise an eyebrow.
The fortune he’d amassed selling provisions, water, and Magic Tools during the drought had finally found its purpose. Wasn’t that what one earned money for, after all?
“Good. That settles it. Shall we head home?”
Satisfied, Tay departed Harundel, murmuring contentedly to himself.
A truckload of Black Magic Tomes and a complete top-tier Magic Tool set—the haul from this expedition was nothing short of a full catch.
* * *
On the road back to his Territory from Harundel.
It was the moment he entered an isolated stretch of Road.
Whoosh.
At that precise instant when the very texture of the air shifted subtly, Tay’s instincts screamed a warning. The beast-like senses of a veteran mercenary who’d seen every battlefield triggered an alert.
‘…They’ve come.’
In the next moment, shadowy figures rose silently from the brush on both sides of the Road.
Assassins.
Their entire bodies wrapped in black cloth, poisoned daggers gripped in their hands, they descended upon Tay in unison.
The smoothness with which they dropped their concealment and launched the ambush was clearly the work of seasoned professionals.
Had Tay been an ordinary nobleman, this ambush would have succeeded flawlessly.
But unfortunately for them, Tay was anything but ordinary.
“I don’t know who sent you.”
Tay calmly raised his newly purchased staff, the Wail of the Departed. A thin, eerie wailing began to seep from its tip.
“But your timing is absolutely wretched. You had to strike right after I bought a whole truckload of Black Magic Tomes.”
Were there assassins in the world this unlucky?
Charging at a Black Mage who’d just acquired top-tier spellbooks and full cutting-edge gear—it was the equivalent of a max-level boss aggro’ing right after respawning. Sheer suicide.
“Hellfire Force Arrow.”
Tay began with a casual 1st Class Black Magic spell.
The power of the magical artifacts he’d gathered combined with Dialogue’s strength,
and countless Hellfire Force Arrows began to materialize in the sky.
The assassins froze at the overwhelming sight.
“What—what is this!? No one said the Black Mage was this strong…….”
A rain of death poured down upon them.
Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack!
The Hellfire Force Arrows that had blackened the sky cascaded down like a barrage directly over the assassins’ heads.
It was no metaphor—a literal downpour of death!
Each arrow pierced through human flesh as easily as paper.
The assassins at the front couldn’t even finish their screams before they became living pincushions, collapsing in crumpled heaps.
Those fortunate enough not to die instantly writhed on the ground, spraying blood with arrows buried deep in their limbs.
“Th-this is insane……!”
“A m-monster……!”
Yet Tay remained perfectly composed even at the heart of the chaos. He even spared a moment to breathe at his leisure, calmly preparing the next spell.
After all, they were already dying. To let them pass peacefully would be a clear dereliction of duty for a Black Mage.
“Life force shouldn’t go to waste. Since they’re done for anyway, let them cough some up before they go.”
Tay raised his hand and unleashed another Black Magic spell he’d recently learned.
“Area-wide Life Force Absorption.”
[Area-wide Life Force Absorption activates.]
A dark crimson mist billowed from the tip of his staff, engulfing the dying assassins whole.
Life force that had lingered in the bodies of those touched by the mist was torn away without exception, draining in a steady stream.
Pale light of life unraveled like thread, flowing toward Tay alone like a river.
Those who had been living, breathing people moments before shriveled into desiccated husks the instant their light was stolen.
It was as though a colossal vacuum cleaner were sucking away life itself!
Absorption magic at its finest.
Tay didn’t squander the life force he’d drawn in.
Instead, he gathered it into a single point, compressing it firmly, and immediately wove the next spell seamlessly into the chain.
“Essence of Life.”
The Essence of Life—a 3rd Class Black Magic—activated.
[The absorbed life force crystallizes into pure essence.]
The life force that converged in Tay’s palm began slowly coalescing into a single mass.
The light that had scattered like threads grew smaller and denser until it finally crystallized into a single radiant crimson sphere.
[Essence of Life]
Rarity: Rare
A crystalline condensation of multiple life forces. Used as a catalyst for Black Magic or as a premium material for crafting magical tools. It holds considerable value in itself.
Gazing at the softly glowing crimson sphere in his palm, Tay’s mouth curved into a subtle smile. This was an invaluable item—useful both as a catalyst for Black Magic and as premium crafting material for the Crazy Craftsman profession.
In short, the assassins had walked straight into his trap and generously donated their own bodies as rare materials.
Here was a curious situation: the attacked party was actually reaping a fine harvest of items. At this point, they were less assassins than Santa Claus opening his sack of crimson gifts.
“Much obliged, you lot. Looks like I’ve found something quite valuable thanks to you.”
“Just as expected, Master! You’ve turned even an assassination attempt into a profitable scavenging expedition! Now this is the true virtue of frugality!”
Dialogue on his shoulder grew animated, chattering away with unbridled enthusiasm.
Ath in the shadows cast a sideways glance at the crimson sphere before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“……You extract materials so efficiently even from those sent to kill you. Sometimes I can’t tell whether you’re a demon or I am. Contractee.”
“Take it as a compliment.”
“It’s not meant as one.”
The screams didn’t even linger.
In mere minutes, the Road was lined with nothing but the bodies of assassins.
“Hmm. Probably should have kept one alive.”
Tay pondered for a moment, then chuckled as he realized it didn’t matter.
Making a living man talk required either bribes or torture, both of which consumed time and effort. But for a Black Mage, the dead were far more talkative than the living.
Tay approached one of the recently fallen assassins and reached out his hand.
“Soul Seizure.”
A pale spirit was drawn from the corpse. The fleeing soul thrashed, desperate to escape, but it was bound fast by Tay’s Dark Mana and couldn’t move an inch.
Then Tay invoked yet another 3rd Class Black Magic spell he’d learned fresh from a grimoire.
“Conversation with the Dead.”
[Conversation with the Dead activates.]
[You may now communicate with the bound spirit.]
A Black Mage’s work is all too easy.
Author |
Automaton G
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(주) Samyang C&C
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Editorial Department
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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